NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world's biggest planemaker Boeing Co. (BA) has apparently buckled under customer pressure and will continue to offer its 717 airliners, The Wall Street Journal said on Friday.

Pressure from existing and potential customers, including some airlines in China, has apparently convinced Boeing to keep its 717 jetliner instead of discontinuing it as many in the industry predicted, the newspaper said in its online edition.

Chicago-based Boeing has said it will decide by year-end whether to stop building the 106-seat 717s, its smallest and slowest selling jet and the last production model remaining from McDonnell Douglas, which Boeing bought in 1997.

But Boeing has not said what a shutdown would mean for customers holding the 53 remaining orders for 717s, which are assembled in Long Beach, California.

The newspaper quoted a Boeing executive familiar with the situation as saying: "A month ago, anybody you asked around here would have said the 717 was dead."

"Now, the pendulum seems to be swinging the other way," the executive said, according to the paper.

The company said about 4,000 to 5,000 workers are employed at its Long Beach, California, facility that makes the plane, the newspaper added.

Boeing would not say which way it is leaning; nor will it discuss the criteria for making the decision, The Wall Street Journal said.

The Boeing board will probably be briefed on the future of the 717 at a meeting early next week, it said.

Excellent news indeed! I just hope this article is 100% accurate, and that Boeing is true to its word. As I said many times before, the 717 is a sleeper hit...it just need time to sell itself. Now it looks as it starting to pay off. Speaking of pressure...If Mount Rainier starts to awaken, Boeing would be wise to keep the LGB plant open. Just a thought. Regards.

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." --Ben Franklin

To be honest this article/statement means nothing. It only confirms that Boeing still has not taken a final decision. Let´s wait until Boeing has made up his mind. BTW, this is what AirTran says to the situation:

AirTran loves Boeing's 717, but not wedded to it

SEATTLE, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Discount carrier AirTran Airways said on Thursday it was very satisfied with its growing fleet of Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA - news) 717 jets, but would find replacement jets if the manufacturer discontinues the slow-selling model.

``We love the airplane. It is delivering better than Boeing promised,'' AirTran Marketing Director Tad Hutcheson told Reuters by telephone. If Boeing were to shut down the line, ``We would find another airplane. It's a buyer's market and we have never said we are going to be a one-airplane type airline.''

Chicago-based Boeing has said it will decide by year-end whether to stop building the 717, its smallest and slowest selling jet and the last production model remaining from McDonnell Douglas, which Boeing bought in 1997.

This is the second US carrier stating within a week that they could easily find another manufacturer, delivering a similar-sized model...

I don't think I would read that in that way. I think you are forgetting who allowed Airtran to finance and refinance what they have now.

I remember in listening to the last Airtran conference call with analysis on the internet and Mr. Leonard said Airtran could adopt to other Boeing aircraft. Though no specific Model was mentioned, I took it to mean 737s or MD series.

Certainly anything is possible, but buying Airbus would be one dangerous move for Airtran.

I think that Boeing should keep the 717-200 line open to anyone who might be interested, but they should shut it down in a way that it would just be a standstill. Kind of like if you put a baby to sleep, it doesn't cry or make any sounds until it is awakened by something. Kind of like the 717-200 would remain still until a future customer orders it and awakens it. Boeing should offer the 717-300, a Lengthened Version with More Powerful BR715 Engines with 21,000 Pounds of Thrust. It would feature the same items as a 717, but would offer more seating and space. American Might Go For that. Delta Might to. They need something to replace their MD88s on Short Haul Routes such as MOB-ATL. Those MD88s are getting older, and the 737 would not be suitable for a short hop like that. The 737 is more of a MOB-IAD type Airplane. And I wish Boeing would get their senses and shut down the friggin 737-600, or can they not do that due to the fact that it is built on the same production line as the -700/-800/-900?

There is an article in the newest issue of german magazine "Flugrevue" which is saying almost the same as the WallStreet Journal (that the 717 has a chance). It is also said that Boeing is in talks with a new customer for the 717 from Thailand. Which airline?

How long has it been since the 717 was introduced? 5 years? Didn't the now wildly popular 737 and 757 take longer than that to catch on to their markets (even in years that were far friendlier to the airline industry?)

And I don't believe the 717 currently has any competition with in-production aircraft, does it? (Well, I suppose the CRJ-700 and EMB-190, as well as the FD-728/928Jet). If Boeing gave the 717 a few more years, it might just take off (no pun intended).

Really, the 767-400, 757-300, and 737-600 criticisms are a bit senseless; those aircraft stand a chance of picking up more customers in a few years. The 757-200 was not a particularly fast seller in the early '80s and the 737 almost went out of production in the 1970s. Both went on to rack up a lot of sales!

Agreed. also the 764 and 736 have much in common with other aircraft already in production. It cost Boeing nothing to NOT produce a 764 or 736 becuase the line is already building 763's and 738's etc in it's place. Workers are not idle or working at a lower capacity due to slow sales.

This is not the case with the 717. As a shareholder, I want it discontinued. Unfortunately, shareholder's can't vote on resolutions such as these.....

The 717 definitely has its own niche, and not much competition for it; the word is still out whether anyone else would ever clamor for that niche. I concur with others here that say that the line should be kept open, especially when reflecting on what happened to the 737 and 757. I'm sure that NWA , American and Delta are all eyeing it, but just not for another 3-5 years at least.

What makes the situation even sadder to me is that the LB plant uses an innovative moving system to build the plane (sort of a large conveyor belt concept) a track in the floor that moves the plane from one station to the next. So the plane is built very quickly and efficiently. Just no orders to rush through there.

The 717 has a complete monopoly on the market that it serves. If Boeing would have given it a NG 737 cockpit or something to make bean counters happy, it would have helped.

If AirTran starts flying something else, I will be upset.

Someone pointed out a few days ago that a 717-300 could never be as large as the MD-82 size airplane. Way back in the day, Douglas redesigned the wing of the DC-9-51 to make it able to fly the DC-9-82. Unfortunately, they also used that same redesign on the MD-90-30, and that contributed to it's failure as the wing was just not enough. POINT IS that the wing on the MD-80 is entirely different that the DC-9-30 and 717.

So that shot my very old idea of AA doing the 717-323 thing.

I hope they keep it going and get some orders. I have flown 717s and they're great.